Anime merchandise will be more accessible than ever before, as Crunchyroll has joined forces with Walmart, one of the largest retail chains in the United States, to introduce a wide range of anime merchandise to over 2,400 stores across the U.S.

As per the partnership, Crunchyroll will have its own 4-foot pod called ‘Crunchyroll Fan Shop’ at Walmart displaying the merchandises.

Some of the merchandise that will be available includes Crunchyroll Subscription gift cards, manga, vinyl records, and blu-rays of fan-favourite anime series’ such as Dragon Ball and My Hero Academia will also be available.

Mitchel Berger, Senior Vice President of Global Commerce at Crunchyroll, expressed his enthusiasm on the partnership, stating, “This is brand new terrain for us. We haven’t done anything like this before at retail“.

Berger then went on to reveal the origins of this collaboration, stating that Walmart had been actively seeking a partner to collaborate to bring the anime experience for their customers, and together they came up on the concept of in-store pods.

“It was a great opportunity that they identified,” he remarked.

According to him, the most importance was given to the design and ambiance of these pods. He emphasized that these spaces needed to feel like Crunchyroll.

Source: Twitter, Modern Retail